Post on 24-Mar-2022
History
• 1840's Europe - Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis
observed increased mortality rate in a
delivery room staffed by training
doctors
• Three times higher than in a second
delivery room staffed by midwives.
• Postulated infection carried from the
mortuary to birthing mothers.
Resident Flora
• Protects skin from invasion of harmful
bacteria
• Lives in deep crevices, hair follicles and
sebaceous glands
• Not easily removed, tend not to be
transmissible and cause infection.
Transient Flora
• Micro-organisms acquired by touch and easily
passed on!
• Easily removed by washing with soap and water
or destroyed by other treatments i.e. alcohol.
Hand Hygiene
“Hand Hygiene is the single
most effective infection control
measure for preventing
infection.”
Effective Hand Hygiene
• Nails are short, no nail
extensions
• Wrist watches removed,
consider fob type
• No stoned rings, only one
smooth band
• No nail varnish is used (even
clear)
• Bare Below Elbows.
How & When to Clean Hands
Wash hands with soap and
water
• at the beginning and end of
each shift
• if visibly soiled or likely to
have been soiled
• after removal of gloves.
Alcohol Hand Rub
Caution and LimitationsClean hands with alcohol gel between every patient contact Alcohol gels are useful but should be
treated with caution.
• Limited effect on spore forming pathogens
• Flammable
• Not effective on soiled hands
• Need to apply correctly
• Need to use at precise moment in time.